Soap lather dispenser



swf@ 29, im, M. C. RAY 2,055,556

SOAP LATHER DISPENSER Filed Sept. 26, 1954 Y Y 8 4\ /10 a 'A A QQ@ f@INVENTOR.

lly pointed out in the claims.

Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOAP LATI-IERDISPENSER corporation of Ohio Application September 26, 1934, Serial No.745,577

5 Claims.

This invention relates, as indicated, to soap lather dispensing devices.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is adapted in use to produce and deliver an intimatemixture of air and liquid soap in the form of a foamy, smooth, evenlymixed lather.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which is of simple and extremely rugged construction, and

adapted to withstand severe usage.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particular-The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the soap latherdispenser showing the various parts in fully assembled relation; Figs.2, 3, 4, and 5 are views showing the Various parts of the mixing unit;and Fig. 6 is a View showing the parts of the mixing unit as they appearwhen assembled or superimposed upon each other.

The lather dispensing device illustrated in Fig. 1 is designedparticularly for connection to a liquid soap supply line which receivesits supply under pressure or gravity from a central tank, but it will beunderstood that the principles of the invention may be embodied indispensing devices designed to receive liquid soap from other sources ofsupply.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, it will be seen that thedispensing device comprises a housing I, which may be of circular orpolygonal cross-section and which is interiorly threaded at one end toreceive a nut 2 which, in turn, is interiorly threaded as at 3 forconnection to a liquid soap supply line (not shown) such line usuallyreceiving its supply under pressure or gravity from a central tank.

Mounted for longitudinal sliding movement within the housing I is aplunger 4 in the form of a cup-like member within which is secured apair of U-shaped washers 5 which provide a mounting for a piston 6. Thewashers 5 are rigidly secured in position adjacent one end of theplunger as by means of a sleeve 1 which is maintained in position as bymeans of a nut 'la threadedly secured to the opposite end of theplunger.

A cup of packing material 8 secured between the button 4 and the sleeveI forms an air seal between the button and the housing.

The piston 6 has an enlarged head 9 which has a sliding t in a cylinderIl). Cylinder I!) has an 5 inwardly extending annular flange I l at oneend which forms a stop to limit the outward movement of the piston. Aleakproof seal between the piston head 9 and the cylinder is provided bya suitable ring of packing material I2 secured to 10 the piston head bymeans of a screw I3.

The cylinder I0 has slidably mounted therein adjacent its inner end avalve I4 having an apertured seat I5 against which a valve ball I6 isnormally maintained as by means of a spring I'I. l5 The valve I4 ismaintained in its normal position within the cylinder as by means of aspring I8, one end of which is in engagement with the valve and theother end of which is in engagement with a valve cap I9 which isthreadedly secured to 20 the cylinder. A stop ring ISa is provided forlimiting the outward travel of the Valve I4. The valve cap I9 isprovided with an aperture 20 for ingress of the liquid soap to thedispenser.

A mixing unit is also provided consisting of a 25 series of annulardiscs 2|, 22, 23, and 24. These discs are concentric with and aremounted on the cylinder l0, being rigidly secured in position on thecylinder andrwithin the housing as by means of the nut 2 and cap I9. Theplunger and piston 30 are maintained in their normal outermost positionby means of a spring 25 interposed between the washers 5 and disc ZI.

'I'he device is further provided with a discharge spout 26 having apassageway 2l extending there- 35 through.

The disk 2l is provided with an aperture 28 which functions as an airinlet. The disc 22 is provided with a central opening 29 and with aseries of circumferentially spaced openings 30, 40 one of whichcommunicates with a passage or slot 5I which serves as a soap inlet.Another one of the openings 35, preferably one disposed adjacent thepassage 3| is in communication with a passage or slot 32, which servesas a lather out- 45 let or discharge port. The disc 23 is likewiseprovided with a series of circumferential openings 33 spaced similarlyto the openings 3D, but arranged in staggered relation with the latterwhen the various discs are assembled, as clearly 50 shown in Figs. l and6.

It will be noted that the passage or slot 3l communicates with anaperture 34 in the wall of the cylinder Il), and that the discharge port32 communicates with the passageway 21 of the dis- 55 charge spout 26.It will be further noted that the valve i4 may be pushed inwardly tosuch an extent as to uncover the opening 34 which it normally closes.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from theforegoing description, but may be briefly described as follows:

The cap i9 is normally lled With liquid soap from the supply line towhich the device is connected.

On movement of the plunger 4 to its normal position after operation ofthe device, a small quantity of soap is drawn past the ball I1 of thevalve I4, so that the cylinder or liquid soap compartment i is normallyfilled with liquid soap. At the same time, air is drawn into the aircompartment, i. e., the space between the cylinder IIJ and housing I,this air being drawn through passageway 2T, slot 32, openings 3i) and 33and opening 28.

When it is desired to operate the device, the plunger l is pushedinwardly, with one hand, while the palm of the other hand is held underthe discharge spout 26. The inward movement of the plunger 4 also causesthe piston 6 to move inwardly, thus causing the soap within the cylinderl@ to slide the valve i4 against the tension of spring Il sufficientlyto uncover the aperture 34 in the cylinder wall. The soap will thus flowinto slot 3|, through the passageway provided by the openings 3i) and 33and out through the slot 32 and discharge passageway 21. At the sametime, the air within the air compartment is forced out through theopening 28 into one of the openings 3l), as indicated in Fig. 6, andthence through the same passageway through which the liquid soap isforced.

The openings 35i and 33 overlap to a slight extent, as clearly shown inFig. 6, thereby providing a single continuous passageway for thedischarge of the air and liquid soap. It will be noted that thiscontinuous passageway varies constantly in cross-sectional area from amaximum at those points which lie in planes extending radially throughthe disks and intersecting the centers of the openings to a minimum atthose points which lie in planes extending radially through the disksand intersecting the points of intersection of the openings. It willalso be noted that the air and liquid soap in passing from the openings30 to 33 and vice versa are constantly changing their course ordirection of flow, due to the sinuous character of the passageway formedby these openings.

By thus constricting the passageway at a multiplicity of points andconstantly changing the direction of flow of the air and soap at thesepoints, a high degree of turbulence or frictional interaction betweenthe particles of air and soap is secured. This turbulence results in anintimate mixing of the air and soap, with the result that a foamy,smooth lather of highly desirable properties is formed. By forming thelather in this manner, a considerable saving in the amount of soap usedis effected.

The use of annular discs as elements of the mixing unit permits theseunits to be made in the form of stampings and thus reduces the cost ofmanufacture to a minimum. At the same time, it provides an extremelyrugged construction, free from movable parts, and adapted to withstandsevere usage without breakage.

While the device has been described as a soap lather dispenser, it willbe understood that it is not intended to thereby limit the scope of. the

application of the invention to that particular eld, as the principlesof the invention would be useful in connection with the production of afroth, or the like, in many diiferent liquids or combinations thereof.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A soap lather dispenser comprising a liquid soap compartment, an aircompartment, and means for mixing the air and soap discharged from saidcompartments, said means comprising a pair of annular discs inengagement With each other and each having a series of circumferentiallyspaced openings, each of the openings of one disc partially overlappingtwo adjacent openings in the other disc to thereby provide a continuoussingle passageway through all of the openings.

2. A lather dispensing device comprising a tubular member leading to asource of liquid soap supply, a small cylindrical liquid soap dispensingcompartment attached to said tubular member and having a valve adjacentsaid liquid supply tube, an air compartment concentric with said liquidsoap compartment, the base of said air compartment being formed by aplurality of discs provided with a discharge passageway leading from apoint of connection with said air and soap compartments to a point ofdischarge, said passageway being of extended length and of constantlyvarying alternately large and small cross-sectional area, and plungersassociated with each of said compartments and adapted to force a mixtureof air and liquid soap into said passageway.

3. A soap lather dispensing device comprising a source of liquid soapsupply, an auxiliary liquid soap compartment connected therewith, avalved inlet port and an outlet port for said auxiliary compartment, aplunger within said auxiliary compartment, means for actuating saidplunger, an air compartment adjacent said auxiliary compartment, aplunger within said air compartment, a passageway of long and narrowdimensions and of constantly varying alternately large and smallcross-sectional area having entrances connected with said auxiliarycompartment and air compartment and adapted to simultaneously receive apredetermined mixture of liquid soap and air upon the operation of saidplungers.

4. A soap lather dispensing device having in combination a liquid soapsupply compartment, a long narrow outlet passageway connected with saidcompartment, said passageway being of constantly varying alternatelylarge and small crosssectional area, an air compartment adjacent saidliquid soap supply compartment and connected with said outlet passagewaynear the inlet end of said passageway, and means for applying pressuresimultaneously to the contents of said liquid soap supply and aircompartments so as to force separately measured quantities of soap andair therefrom to said passageway.

5. A soap lather dispenser comprising a cylindrical liquid soapdispensing compartment having an outlet port, an air compartmentconcentric with said liquid soap compartment and provided with adischarge spout, the base of said air compartment being formed by aplurality of three contiguously arranged discs, the first of which isprovided with an opening communicating with said air chamber, the secondof which is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spacedopenings, a slot connecting one of the openings with said outlet portand a slot connecting an adjacent opening with said discharge spout, andthe third of which is provided with openings spaced similarly to thosein the second disc and each of which openings overlaps two adjacentopenings of said second-named disc to thereby provide a continu- 10 oussingle passageway through all of the openings in both discs, whichpassageway extends from said outlet port to said discharge spout, saidopening in said first-named disc communicating with one of the openingsin said second disc which forms the first portion of said passageway,and plungers associated with each of said compartments and adapted uponactuation to simultaneously force soap and air from said' compartmentsand through said passageway.

MERLIN C. RAY.

